View the Most Popular News Headlines in 2012

January: AURORA BOREALIS to Become The World’s Most Advanced Polar Research Vessel

Research in the polar regions can only be carried out by sophisticated research vessels. Modern research vessels that are capable of penetrating into the central Arctic are rare. A new state-of-the-art research icebreaker is therefore urgently required to fulfill the needs of European polar research. The heavy Icebreaker, Deep-Sea Drilling, and Multi-Purpose Research Vessel, the ‘Aurora Borealis’ was designed by Wärtsilä Ship Design.

February: Construction of Second Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carrier HMS Prince of Wales Kicks Off

Production on HMS PRINCE OF WALES, the second Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carrier, has started at BAE Systems in Portsmouth Naval Base – the future home of the Queen Elizabeth Class. Work on the forward section of the hull, known as Lower Block 02, commenced as Commander-in -Chief Fleet Admiral George Zambellas cut the first steel in a ceremony at the company’s production facility.

March: Edison Chouest Offshore Shipyard Christens Shell’s New Icebreaker Aiviq, USA

Edison Chouest Offshore in Larose, Louisiana on March 24th 2012 held christening ceremony for Shell’s new 360 foot long icebreaker “Aiviq”. This new Arctic ice class anchor handler under construction for Shell is the largest and most advanced ship ever designed and constructed by ECO.

April: McConaghy Boats Holds Launching Ceremony for Trimaran Adastra, China

McConaghy Boats successfully conducted the launching ceremony for 42.5m Trimaran Adastra. Designed by West Sussex-based John Shuttleworth Yacht Designs “Adastra” takes the power trimaran concept further than has ever been attempted before, previous vessels like “Earthrace” and “Cable and Wireless” were stripped out record breaking machines.

May: Fincantieri’s Marghera Shipyard Delivers Costa Fascinosa, Italy

Costa Fascinosa, the new flagship of Costa Cruises, was delivered to the cruise line on May 5th by shipbuilder Fincantieri in Venice, Italy. Officially handed over at the Venice Passenger Terminal, Costa Fascinosa – with sister ship Costa Favolosa – is the largest Italian-flagged cruise ship afloat.

June: Wison Nabs Contract to Build World’s First FLRSU, China

Shanghai-based Wison Offshore & Marine Ltd (subsidiary of the Wison Group) has been awarded, on June 1st, a contract by the Exmar group for engineering, procurement, construction, installation and commissioning (EPCIC) of the world’s first Floating LNG Liquefaction, Regasification and Storage Unit (FLRSU).

July: World’s Largest Wind Farm Installation Vessel Pacific Orca Delivered

Samsung Heavy Industries announced on the 25th that it had successfully built Pacific Orca, the world’s largest wind farm installation vessel (WIV), and delivered it to SPO (Swire Pacific Offshore), a Singapore-based shipper. The wind farm installation vessel is a new special vessel for which demand is expected to grow as the focus of the wind power generation market shifts from in-land wind farms to offshore wind farms.

August: ACL Places Order for Five Largest CONROs in the World

Atlantic Container Line has signed a contract with Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding to build the five largest RORO/Containerships (CONROs) in the world. The G4 (Generation 4) vessels will replace ACL’s existing fleet of G3 CONROs operating in the company’s transatlantic service.

September: Heavy Lift Jack-Up Vessel INNOVATION Named in Bremerhaven, Germany

Today, amid great public attention, the most powerful heavy-lift jack-up vessel ‘INNOVATION’ was named in Bremerhaven by Mrs Geertrui Van Rompuy-Windels, Europe’s First Lady and spouse of Herman Van Rompuy, President of the European Council.

October: MEYER WERFT Lands $ 917 Mln ‘Breakaway Plus’ Deal, Germany

Norwegian Cruise Line has reached an agreement with MEYER WERFT GMBH of Germany to build a new cruise vessel, for delivery in October 2015, with the option for a second ship for delivery in spring 2017. The new ship, at 163,000 gross tons and approximately 4,200 passenger berths, will be larger than the Company’s Breakaway class ships currently under construction at MEYER WERFT. With the project name “Breakaway Plus,” this new vessel will be the largest in Norwegian’s fleet.

November: Hyundai Heavy to Build State-of-the-Art DSV for Subsea 7, South Korea

Subsea 7 has signed a contract to build a new Dive Support Vessel (DSV). The new vessel will be delivered in 2015. This state-of-the-art vessel will be built by Korean company Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI), one of the world’s largest ship building companies.

December: Heavy-Lift Vessel Dockwise Vanguard Ready for Sea Trials

Hyundai Heavy Industries and Dockwise are about to start the sea trials for a new semi-submersible heavy-lift vessel Dockwise Vanguard. The name ‘Dockwise Vanguard’ refers to the forefront of a movement, an innovation in the Heavy Marine Transport Industry.

Shipbuilding Tribune Staff,  January 1, 2013